Special Education

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What do you think of special education? Is it worthwhile? What is it like in your country? Is it offered? What's good about it? What could be improved about it? In the US students with special needs are to be integrated into the regular classroom as much as possible. While there are many socializing benefits, there costs to have an aide with each special ed student is astronomical. Further, I think it's ridiculous that children with severe cognitive disabilities who can do no more than drool and make noises should be given services in a school, much less be integrated into a classroom. I mean, will that child ever learn ABCs, counting, reading, geography, or biology? Wouldn't that student be better served learning the basic life skills? Another problem I have is that there are students who have trouble learning in school (math, reading), but when tested are found to be not eligible for services. In other words, it doesn't matter that they're struggling in school, they're still too smart to qualify for specialized help. Yet those students who will never amount to much (sorry, but that's how I feel) get more services than what will be of use while a student who could succeed is left to flounder.